Floating oil well drilling equipment



Oct' 15, 1962 H. J. wooLsLAYER ETAL FLOATING OIL WELL DRILLING EQUIPMENT 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 8, 1958 New 3,653,311 FLATENG @EL WELL DRILLENS EQUXPMENT Homer J. Wooisiayer, Qecii Jenkins, and Charles D. Iddings, Tulsa, Okla., and George l. Lynch, New York, NSY., assignors to Lee SC. Moore Corporation, Pittshurgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsyivania Fiied Apr. S, 19%, Ser. No. 727,212 4 Ciairns. (til. (i1-lie) This invention relates to the drilling of offshore oil wells, and more particularly to the transportation of oil well drilling equipment by barge to a stationary marine platform.

In one type of offshore cil well drilling, a platform is constructed in xed position above the water and then the drilling rig is iioated out to it on one or more tenders or barges, from which the rig must be transferred to the platform. The substructure or base usually is moved onto the platform first and fastened securely in position. Then a reclining drilling mast is oated up to the base, attached to it and swung up to upright position. That is often a diicult operation because the mast may not be at the best level or late-ral position for connection to the base, and also because the barge may pitch and roll while the connection is being attempted. This not only makes the job dicult, but some of the equipment is likely to be damaged in the process.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide floating oil well drilling equipment which permits transfer of a drilling mast to a marine. platform without much diiiculty, which permits the height of the reclining mast above the barge carrying it to be adjusted as desired, which permits the barge to roll and pitch without damaging the mast, and which facilitates connection of the mast to the base.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings; in which FIG. 1 is a side View of our equipment showing an oil well drilling mast about to be transferred from a bargel to a marine platform;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line II-II of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary side view of the equipment, with the mast in Working position;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. l of a modification;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line VII- VII of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section through the central part of the mast base in FIG. l, looking forward toward the mast and showing both mast-receiving shoes.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a marine platform is erected in any suitable manner over a body of water, the platform may consist of a base 1 for an oil well drilling mast mounted on piles 2. This base may be constructed in place on the piles, or it may be built on land and then oated out and either skidded onto the piles or lifted onto them by means of a crane. The base has pairs of laterally spaced front and back shoes. Mounted in the back shoes 3 and in the back part of the front shoes 4 are the lower ends of the back and front legs of an upwardly tapered gin pole S. Also mounted on the base is the usual drawworks 6.

Securely anchored a short distance in front of the platform is a tender or barge 8, which extends forward away from the platform. A pair of laterally spaced upright frames 9 are rigidly mounted on the end of the barge nearest the platform, while another pair of similar frames 1t) are mounted on the barge at its opposite end, or at least a 3.05am Patented Oct. 16, 1962 FCS considerable distance in front of the other frames. The frames in each pair are spaced far enough apart to receive between them a reclining drilling mast 11 that has its foot end projecting a considerable distance beyond the end of the barge toward the base 1. Also disposed between the frames are cross beams 12, as shown in FIG. 2, o-n which the mast'rests. Each beam is suspended by exible means between the adjacent frames. Although the flexible means may be in the form of pivoted links connecting the opposite ends of the beam with the tops of the frames, it is preferred to use a pair of cables 13. The cables are attached to the opposite ends of the beams and extend up over sheaves 14 in the upper ends of the two frames and then down to winches 15 mounted on the barge at the base of the frames.

While the barge is being towed to a well drilling site, the cross beams 12 are held rigidly in place by suitable braces (not shown) removably connected to them. When the barge reaches the place where it is to be unloaded, the braces are removed so that the cross beams can hang freely between the frames as shown. The elevation at which the mast will be carried out to the platform will depend upon how rough the water may be and on how much equipment it is desired to carry on the barge beneath the reclining mast. Usually the platform will extend farther above the water than the barge does, so the mast may have to be raised by reeling in cables 13 on the Winches 15 to elevate the mast-supporting beams. The mast can be raised high enough in this way to permit it toproject over the front end of the base when the barge is moved in close to the. platform and anchored.

The foot of the mast is then pivotally connected to the base so that the mast can be swung up to upright drilling position. While the mast is being connected tothe base, the barge may roll, but that will not interfere materially with the operation because the exible connections between the mast and barge frames 9 and 10 allow the barge to roll without unduly disturbing the mast. After the mast has been connected to the base, the drilling line 17 from the crown block 18 is passed over the top of the gin pole and down to the drawworks, where it is secured to the drum. A sling 19, connected to the hook of the traveling block 201, is carried back through the gin pole and then Aup and over sheaves 221 in its top and forward again to the mast, where it is secured. The drawworks then can raise the mast by reeling in the drilling line to cause the traveling block to pull on the sling in a well known manner. When the mast is erect, it is fastened to the gin pole and the sling is removed. y

To help in securing the foot of the reclining mast to the base, the latter is provided with a pair of arms 20 in front of the front shoes. Each arm has in its lower end por: tion a longitudinal slot 21 that most suitably is formed by making the lower half of the arm Vfrom a round bar bent into U shape. The slotted portion of the arm extends down into a rearwardly tapered slot 22 in the base, where it is held by a pivot pin 23` extending through both slots, Consequently, the arm can be swung forward and backward, it can slide up and down on the pivot pin and it can swing laterally to some extent because the front portion of the base slot is somewhat wider than the arm, These movements `of the arms permit them to be moved about and into positions where they can be connected to the two feet of the mast, which may not be perfectly aligned with the front shoe or which may be moving about because of the movements of the floating barge.

To connect the arms to the mast, their upper ends are provided with transverse openings and the mast has bifurcated feet also provided with transverse openings. The upper ends of the arms are swung into the feet, and hollow pins 25 are then inserted into the registering openings to pivotally connect the mast and arms together, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. Then, as the mast is pulled toward the gin pole by means of the drawworks, the arms are swung backward by the mast and their upper ends are forced by the tapered base slots 22 to move back into the bifurcated front shoes and to carry the feet of the mast with them. As soon as the hollow pins line up with the front holes in the shoes, solid pivot pins 26 are inserted in the shoes and the hollow pins to pivotally anchor the mast to the shoes. It can then be swung into upright position, as indicated in full lines in FIG. 3, by reeling the drilling line onto the drawworks.

In the modiication shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, no provision is made for raising and lowering the reclining mast 30 on the barge 31, but it is supported high enough above the barge for any marine platform to which it is expected to connect. The mast is supported by frames 32 and 33 mounted on the opposite ends of the barge. The upper ends of the trames have cross rollers 34 journaled on them beneath the lower legs of the reclining mast. These permit the mast to be moved easily back and forth on its supports. To permit lateral movement of the reclining mast on the barge in order to facilitate connecting the mast to a stationary platform, rollers 3-5' are secured lengthwise of the lower legs of the mast. These longitudinal rollers are located a short distance below the mast and rest on the cross rollers, whereby the mast can move on rollers either lengthwise or crosswise of the barge. The foot of the mast may be connected to a platform in the same manner as described in the first embodiment ofthe invention. The mast is also swung up from the barge in the same way.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what We now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. Marine oil well drilling equipment, comprising a stationary base supported above the surface of a. body of water, a pair of laterally spaced shoes provided with aligned openings therethrough and mounted on the base near its front end, a gin pole mounted on the base behind the shoes, an upwardly extending arm disposed in front of each shoe and having a transverse opening through its upper end, means loosely pivoting the lower ends of the arms to the base on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said shoe openings to permit the arms to swing backward and laterally, the arms being movable lengthwise thereof on said pivoting means, a barge ioating in front of the base and extending lengthwise away from it, a reclining mast supported lengthwise on the barge and having feet projecting therefrom toward said arms, the feet having aligned transverse openings therethrough, and hollow pins extending through the openings in said feet and upper ends of said arms and pivotally connecting them together, the arms being located in positions to guide the feet back to the shoes when the mast is moved toward the base to align said hollow pins with the shoe openings, whereby pivot pins can be inserted in said aligned shoe openings and hollow pins to pivot the mast to the shoes so that it can lbe swung upward.

2. Marine oil Well drilling equipment, comprising a stationary base supported above the surface of a body of water, a pair of laterally spaced shoes provided with aligned openings therethrough and mounted on the base near its front end, a gin pole mounted on the base behind the shoes, an upwardly extending arm disposed in front of each shoe and having a transverse opening through its upper end, the lower portion of each arm being provided with a longitudinally extending transverse slot, said base being provided with slots extending lengthwise of the base and loosely receiving the lower ends of the arms, a pivot member extending across each base slot and through the longitudinal slot in the arm in that baseY slot to permit the arm to move lengthwise, each'base slot being long and Wide enough to permit the arm to swing backward and laterally, a barge oating in front of the base and extending lengthwise away from it, a reclining mast supported lengthwise on the barge and having feet projecting therefrom toward said arms, the feet having transverse openings therethrough, and hollow pins extending through the openings in said feet and upper ends of said arms to pivotally connect them together, the arms being of a length that will guide the feet yback to the shoes when the mast is moved toward the base to align said hollow pins with the shoe openings, whereby pivot pins can be inserted in said aligned shoe openings and hollow pins to pivot the mast to the shoes so that it can be swung upward.

3. Marine oil well drilling equipment according to claim 2, in which said base slots are tapered toward the shoes to align the upper ends of said arms with the shoes as the arms are moving toward them.

4. Marine oil Well drilling equipment, comprising a stationary base supported above the surface of a body of water, a pair of laterally spaced shoes provided with aligned openings therethrough and mounted on the base near its front end, a gin pole mounted on the base behind the shoes, an upwardly extending arm disposed in front of each shoe and having a transverse opening through its upper end, means loosely pivoting the lower ends of the arms to the base on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said shoe openings to permit the arms to swing back-ward and laterally, the arms being movable lengthwise thereof on said pivoting means, a barge floating in front of the base and extending lengthwise away from it, a reclining mast supported lengthwise on the barge and having feet projecting therefrom toward said arms, the mast feet having aligned transverse openings therethrough adjacent the upper ends of the arms, and removable pivot pins in said arm openings connecting the arms to the mast, the arms being located in positions to guide the feet back to the shoes when the mast is moved toward the base to align said feet openings with the shoe openings, whereby pins can be inserted in said aligned feet and shoe openings to pivotally connect the mast to the shoes so that it can be swung upward.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,123,851 Cooper Ian. 5, 1915 1,335,497 Hamilton Mar. 30, 1920 1,758,606 Jacobs May 13, 1930 1,863,953 Wilband lune 21, 1932 2,052,301 Johansen Aug. 25, 1936 2,325,993V Zoll Aug. 3, 1943 2,372,390 Petersen Mar. 27, 1945 2,475,933 Woolslayer July 12, 1949 2,531,770 Ducharme Nov. 28, 1950 2,539,695 Moon Ian. 30, 1951 2,602,636 Travers July 8, 1952 2,934,905 Woolslayer May 3, 1960 2,959,015 Beck Nov. 8, 1960 

